Sautéed Green Beans with garlic and lemon are a simple, but all-round delicious side dish. These are equally perfect as a side with family dinners, or with fancy feasts.
Why You Need This Recipe
- These green beans go with everything! These beans are a perfect accompaniment for chicken, (try Marry Me Chicken, or Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Thighs) pork, (how about Grilled Pork Tenderloin or Pork Chops with Apples & Onions) fish, especially Spiced Baked Salmon Pomegranate Raita or beef.
Here's What You Need To Make It
Green Beans
Choose bright green beans that you can easily snap when you bend them. Try to choose beans of similar sizes for uniform cooking time.
Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point, so normally we wouldn't want to use it for pan-frying or stir-frying. However, because the sauté time for these green beans is very short, I think it's worth it for the flavour that it brings. But, go ahead and use any oil that you have on hand.
Garlic
You can use fresh garlic, or you can use pre-minced jarred garlic, which is super convenient. If you don't have either, you can use ¼ tsp of garlic powder, sprinkled on in place of the minced garlic.
Lemon
Nothing beats fresh lemon juice, so use it if you can. In a recipe as simple as this one, every flavour stands out, so this is not the best place for bottled lemon juice.
Red Pepper Flakes
The red pepper flakes are entirely optional. The amount in the recipe doesn't really add any heat, but it brightens up the flavour. Omit it if you prefer, or amp it up if spice is your thing.
How To Make It: Step By Step
It couldn't be any simpler to make this delicious side dish:
- Trim beans
- Bring water to a boil in a saute pan or skillet.
- Blanch beans in the boiling water for three minutes.
- Drain beans, and heat the oil in the same pan. Add green beans, and saute in the hot oil for about one minute
5. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt to the pan.
6. Sautee for one more minute. Remove from heat and squeeze with lemon juice, tossing to combine.
- Serve!
Recipe Tips
- Trim the knobby stem ends of the beans before cooking. To trim, line up a pile of beans facing in the same direction, then using a chef's knife, slice the ends from all the beans at once. No need to cut the tapered ends.
- The key to perfect tender-crisp string beans is timing. Be very careful not to overcook or the beans will turn mushy and grey.
- You can use frozen green beans. Just skip the blanching (steps 2,3,&4) and saute them straight from frozen.
- Add other vegetables to the pan and saute them first before adding the beans. Our favourites are mushrooms and red bell pepper strips.
More Side Dish Ideas
Dinner isn't dinner without great sides! More delicious sides to check out:
- Sautéed Beet Greens Recipe
- Cabbage Stir-Fry
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Parsnip Puree
- Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash
Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic & Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ lemon juice of
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp coarse salt
Instructions
- Trim green beans by lining them up in the same direction and slicing off the ends.
- Over medium-high heat bring ¼ cup of water to a boil in a large saute pan or skillet.
- Add green beans to the skillet and allow to boil 3 minutes, turning
- Drain beans and heat the oil in the same pan.
- Sautee the beans in the oil for about one minute, stirring.
- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and salt.
- Cook, stirring, about 1 more minute
- Remove pan from the heat immediately
- Squeeze lemon over the beans and toss to combine
- Serve right away.
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